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Police: Plane lands on Florida highway ramp after pilot runs out of gas

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Updated: 10:07 AM CDT May 17, 2019

Police: Plane lands on Florida highway ramp after pilot runs out of gas

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Updated: 10:07 AM CDT May 17, 2019

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STEWART: AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME WE’VE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS PLAY OUT ON OR NEAR I-4. WESH 2’S CHRIS GUARDARO IS LIVE WHERE IT HAPPENED WITH THE LATEST ON THE INVESTIGATIO CHRIS: YOU CAN SEE THAT THI SMALL PROP PLANE MANAGED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING HERE DURING RUSH HOUR. THE PLANE HIT ONE CAR DURING THE ROUGH DESCEN I AM SEVERAL MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT AND I RAN OUT OF FUEL. CHRIS: VIDEO FROM NEARBY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS SHOWS A PILOT SITTING ON THE SIDE OF AN I-4 EXIT RAMP WITH AN ICE PA TO HIS FOREHEAD. HE LOOKS ON TO HIS PLANE, STRANDED ON A MEDIAN AFTER FALLING FROM THE SKY POLICE SAY AROUND 5:30 THURSDAY, THE SMALL AIRCRAFT HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE INTERSTATE. >> IT DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. I THINK WE’RE VERY LUCK CHRIS: INVESTIGATORS SAY THE PLANE HIT THE BACK OF THIS 4-DOOR ACURA WHILE DESCENDING. IT TORE UP THE ROOF AND REAR OF THE CAR. THE PLANE HAS SOME DAMAGE UNDER THE PROPELLER AND A WHEEL SNAPPED OFF FROM HITTING THE SEDAN. LUCKILY, NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE CAR’S DRIVER WERE SERIOUSL INJURED. >> HE DID SEEM PRETTY SHOOK UP, BUT IT’S PRETTY NERVE-WRACKING WHEN A PLANE’S COMING DOWN AND ACTUALLY STRIKES YOU WHEN YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO EXIT ONTO I-4. CHRIS: MAITLAND POLICE TELL US FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO HOW AND WHY THE PLANE MADE THE SUDDEN LANDING. THIS IS WHAT THE PILOT TOL POLICE. >> HE WAS SAYING THEY HAD DEPARTED FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AND HAD RUN OUT OF GAS. AND UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT. CHRIS: THE PILOT MANAGED TO AVOID LIGHT POLES AND OTHER CARS NEARBY. ALTHOUGH IT WAS RUSH HOUR, POLICE SAY IT’S FORTUNATE THE INTERSTATE WAS NOT VERY BUSY AT THE TIME TRUCKS HAVE TAKEN THE BROKEN CARD AWAY -- CAR AWAY.

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Police: Plane lands on Florida highway ramp after pilot runs out of gas

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Updated: 10:07 AM CDT May 17, 2019

A pilot crashed a small plane into a car on a Florida highway ramp in the middle of rush hour Thursday afternoon.The pilot told police he ran out of gas.It happened on the Interstate-4 exit ramp to Maitland Boulevard in Maitland, just north of Orlando.Police said they are happy that more people weren't hurt as a result of the dangerous landing.Video from nearby construction workers shows a pilot sitting on the side of the I-4 exit ramp with an ice pack to his forehead. He looked on to his plane, stranded on a median after falling from the sky.Police say around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the small aircraft had to make an emergency landing on the interstate. "It definitely could have been a lot worse. Again, I think we're very lucky," said Lt. Louis Grindle, of the Maitland Police Department.Investigators said the plane hit the back of a four-door Acura while descending. It tore up the roof and rear of the car. The plane has some damage under the propeller, and a wheel snapped off from hitting the sedan.Neither the pilot nor the car's driver were seriously injured."He did seem pretty (shaken) up, but it's pretty nerve-wracking when a plane's coming down and actually strikes you when you're just trying to exit onto I-4," Grindle said.Maitland police said Federal Aviation Administration investigators are looking into how and why the plane made the sudden landing."He was saying they had departed from South Carolina and had run out of gas. Unfortunately, had to make an emergency landing. They were trying to make it to Orlando Executive Airport," Grindle said.The pilot managed to avoid light poles and other cars nearby. Although it was rush hour, police say it's fortunate the interstate was not very busy at the time.A wrecker truck moved the broken-down car away. FAA investigators finished looking at the plane and there is no word on when it will be taken away.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

A pilot crashed a small plane into a car on a Florida highway ramp in the middle of rush hour Thursday afternoon.

The pilot told police he ran out of gas.

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It happened on the Interstate-4 exit ramp to Maitland Boulevard in Maitland, just north of Orlando.

Police said they are happy that more people weren't hurt as a result of the dangerous landing.

Video from nearby construction workers shows a pilot sitting on the side of the I-4 exit ramp with an ice pack to his forehead.

He looked on to his plane, stranded on a median after falling from the sky.

Police say around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the small aircraft had to make an emergency landing on the interstate.

"It definitely could have been a lot worse. Again, I think we're very lucky," said Lt. Louis Grindle, of the Maitland Police Department.

Investigators said the plane hit the back of a four-door Acura while descending. It tore up the roof and rear of the car. The plane has some damage under the propeller, and a wheel snapped off from hitting the sedan.

Neither the pilot nor the car's driver were seriously injured.

"He did seem pretty (shaken) up, but it's pretty nerve-wracking when a plane's coming down and actually strikes you when you're just trying to exit onto I-4," Grindle said.

Maitland police said Federal Aviation Administration investigators are looking into how and why the plane made the sudden landing.

"He was saying they had departed from South Carolina and had run out of gas. Unfortunately, had to make an emergency landing. They were trying to make it to Orlando Executive Airport," Grindle said.

The pilot managed to avoid light poles and other cars nearby. Although it was rush hour, police say it's fortunate the interstate was not very busy at the time.

A wrecker truck moved the broken-down car away. FAA investigators finished looking at the plane and there is no word on when it will be taken away.